Protective case having a hybrid structure for portable handheld electronic devices

ABSTRACT

A protective case for handheld devices with improved protection characteristics, durability, convenience of use, and functionalities without compromising aesthetics. The protective case includes a “glove” or “skin” piece of a softer material that substantially covers and grips the entire back of the electronic device, by wrapping over the edge of the electronic device (without obscuring the display/touch screen on the front of the device). One or more separate complementary frame pieces, braces and the like made of a hard material are attached over the glove piece, extending over a substantial area of the glove piece, thereby creating a robust interlocking hybrid structure. Openings are provided in the protective case to allow for user interaction with the device, including access to the interfaces (e.g., screens, buttons, sockets, etc.) provided on the device.

CROSS REFERENCE

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/459,395, filed Jun. 29, 2009, which claims priority and is acontinuation-in-part of: (a) U.S. Design patent application No.29/312,006, filed on Sep. 23, 2008; (b) U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/188,084, filed on Aug. 5, 2008; and (c) U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/133,365, filed on Jun. 27, 2008.These applications are fully incorporated by reference as if fully setforth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to protective cases for handheldelectronic devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For modern personal electronic devices, the trend is to adopt a thinhousing profile and a large display screen (e.g., touch sensitive userinterface). An example of a popular handheld device is the Apple iPhone.Other devices include without limitation MP3 players, etc. Such devicescontain sensitive and/or delicate electronics. The devices are subjectto physical abuse and risks of damages from handling of the devices,especially given the portable nature of the devices (e.g., dropping ofthe devices, or otherwise subjecting the devices to physical shocks,dents and scratches).

Handheld devices typically are built with a housing that can withstandcertain level of physical abuse. However, in an effort to improveaesthetics, the housings are typically designed to have finishes thatlook appealing, but often at the compromise of structural integrity. Anicely finished housing is more prone to damages, and even slightblemishes would be more noticeable on a highly finished housing. Forexample, the iPhone housing is finished with a highly polished metalback panel. Any dent and/or scratch on the finished panel would behighly noticeable.

Auxiliary cases have been designed to wrap around handheld devices toprovide an additional level of protection. However heretofore,protective cases increase significant overall bulk and weight, and couldmar or damage the delicate finish of the devices. The existing cases arealso not as convenient to use, and the durability and protectivecoverage of the cases are more to be desired. Existing protective casesdo not strike a well balance between protection, functionalities andaesthetics. For example, there exists an all-silicon soft case thatwraps the entire device housing except the screen. However, such case isnot aesthetically appealing. Aesthetically appealing cases typicallyoffer less protection. Further, modern handheld devices require userinteractions with the devices via various interfaces (e.g., screens,buttons, sockets, etc.), the access to which could be hindered by thestructure of existing protective cases.

It is therefore desirable to have a protective case with improvedprotection characteristics, durability, convenience of use, andfunctionalities without compromising aesthetics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a protective case for handhelddevices with improved protection characteristics, durability,convenience of use, and functionalities without compromising aesthetics.

In accordance with the present invention, the protective case includes a“glove” or “skin” piece of a softer material that substantially coversand grips the entire back of the electronic device, by wrapping over theedge of the electronic device (without obscuring the display/touchscreen on the front of the device). The glove is non-abrasive to thedelicate finish of the device. One or more separate complementary framepieces, braces and the like made of a hard material are attached overthe glove piece, extending over a substantial area of the glove piece,thereby creating a robust interlocking hybrid structure. The multi-piecehybrid protective case may further include a front protective membraneto protect the display/touch screen of the device. Openings are providedin the protective case to allow for user interaction with the device,including access to the interfaces (e.g., screens, buttons, sockets,etc.) provided on the device. The resultant interlocking hybridstructure defines a robust protective case for a personal electronicdevice, which provides a well balance of form and substance with respectto protection of the device held by the case, and without affecting theuse of the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of theinvention, as well as the preferred mode of use, reference should bemade to the following detailed description read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings. In the following drawings, like referencenumerals designate like or similar parts throughout the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front and top perspective view of a protective case holdinga portable handheld electronic device, in accordance with a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear and top perspective view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a bottom and left perspective view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a bottom and right perspective view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIG. 7 is a right side view thereof;

FIG. 8 is a left side view thereof;

FIG. 9 is front view thereof; and

FIG. 10 is rear view thereof.

FIG. 11 is a front view of the electronic device as held in theinventive protective case above.

FIG. 12 is a perspective exploded view of the inventive protective caseabove and the electronic device.

FIGS. 13 to 18 are corresponding line drawings of the protective case inFIGS. 1-10, without the electronic device held therein.

FIG. 19 is a perspective exploded view of the exoskeleton frame and theglove components of the inventive protective case in accordance with thefirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 20A to 20C are reproduction of the product manual for theprotective case above.

FIG. 21 is a perspective exploded view of the inventive protective casein reference to the electronic device in accordance with a secondembodiment of the electronic device.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing the attachment of the I-clip tothe H-frame of the protective case in accordance with the secondembodiment, without the electronic device held therein.

FIGS. 23 to 28 are corresponding line drawings of different views of theprotective case in FIG. 21, without the electronic device held therein.

FIGS. 29A to 29D are reproduction of the product manual for theprotective case above.

FIGS. 30 to 34 illustrate another embodiment of the 3-piece protectivecase.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This invention is described below in reference to various embodimentswith reference to the figures. While this invention is described interms of the best mode for achieving this invention's objectives, itwill be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations may beaccomplished in view of these teachings without deviating from thespirit or scope of the invention.

The protective case of the present invention may be sized and structuredto protect a personal electronic device, typically with a display screen(e.g., liquid crystal display), for example: personal digital assistant(PDA) and handheld computers; digital media devices, such as an MP3player, digital recorder, portable TV, radio, etc.; wireless devices,such as a cellular phone (e.g., Apple iPhone), two-way radio, etc.;handheld devices, such as global positioning system (GPS), etc.; gamingdevices, such as portable versions of computer gaming (Nintendo, SonyPlayStation), etc.; digital photo and video cameras, etc.

The protective case of the present invention comprises a capsulated rearprotective structure of multiple complementary pieces (i.e., two or morediscreet, separate pieces), which can be assembled onto the electronicdevice to form a protective structure to protect the edges and back ofthe device.

In accordance with the present invention, the protective case includes a“glove” or “skin” piece of a softer material that substantially coversand grips the entire back of the electronic device, by wrapping over theedge of the electronic device (without obscuring the display/touchscreen on the front of the device). The glove is non-abrasive to thedelicate finish of the device. One or more separate complementary framepieces, braces and the like made of a hard material are attached overthe glove piece, thereby creating a robust interlocking hybridstructure. The multi-piece hybrid protective case may further include afront protective membrane to protect the display/touch screen of thedevice. Openings are provided in the case to allow for user interactionswith the device, including user access to the interfaces (e.g., screens,buttons, sockets, etc.) provided on the device. The resultantinterlocking hybrid structure defines a robust protective case for apersonal electronic device, which provides a well balance of form andsubstance with respect to protection of the device held by the case, andwithout affecting the use of the device, such as the display and/ortouch sensitivity of the display screen.

The protective case of the present invention will be described below inreference to the Apple iPhone as an exemplary electronic device that canbe effectively protected by the inventive protective case. At least twoprimary embodiments will be described, one have a 2-piece protectivestructure, and another having a 3-piece protective structure.

Embodiment One 2-Piece Protective Structure

Reference is made to FIGS. 1-20. FIG. 11 shows the example of anelectronic device in the form of a smart phone 10 (in the illustration,the electronic device resembles an Apple iPhone) held by a protectivecase 12 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Theprotective case 12 exposes the display screen of the phone 10, whichcould be a touch sensitive screen for user interaction (e.g., userselections by tapping on the icons displayed on the screen). Thecommercial product implementing the present invention under thisembodiment is generally referred to as the “Rebel” product. It comprisesa 2-piece rear protective structure; including a tough but soft coverpiece (the “glove” or “skin”) 14 and a hard frame 16.

The tough but soft glove 14 protects the phone's highly polished backfrom getting scratched. It snugly covers the entire back panel and theperimeter of the phone 10, like a skin, and exposes screen at the frontof the phone 10. The glove 14 is of unitary, one-piece or monolithicstructure. The glove 14 is partially covered with a hard plasticflexible exoskeleton frame 16 that grips from the back of the phone 10and around the phone's edges and corners, thereby completely protectingthe housing of the phone.

As illustrated in the figures, the exoskeleton frame 16 is shaped andstructure like a claw, or a fishbone, in accordance with one embodimentof the present invention. The frame 16 is of unitary, one-piece ormonolithic structure, may be symmetrical about one or both of theorthogonal axes of the phone 10. In the illustrated embodiment, theframe 16 has “ribs” or “fingers” 18 branching, radiating and/orextending from a spine 20 towards the edges and corners of the phone,symmetrical about the long center axis of the phone 10. The fingers 18press the glove 14 against the back of the phone, and wrap around theglove 14 at the corners and edges of the phone. The tips of the fingers18 are generally C-shaped in section, grasping or hooking onto theperipheral edges and corners of the phone 10 with a tight snap fit. Thefingers 18 facilitate flexing despite the hard material of the frame 16,so that the fingers 18 can be flexed to lock over the edges and cornersof the device 10. It is noted that the fingers 18 do not cover theentire length of each edge of the phone 10. The discontinuous coverageof the fingers 18 along the edges of the phone 10 would not result in arelatively unsightly bevel at the edge of the screen of the phone 10. Itis noted that the frame 16 covers a substantial area of the glove 14(e.g., 10-90%, preferably 30-70%, and more preferably about 50%, of thearea of the glove 14). The coverage of fingers 18 and spine 20 areessentially substantially distributed over the entire area of the glove14, even though the coverage of the fingers 18 and spine 20 are notuniformly distributed.

The glove 14 may be configured with a complementary pattern of grooves(e.g., indentations, channels or depressions) 22 (e.g., resembling tirethreads with radiating grooves), which are sized and shaped to snuglyreceives the complementary shaped exoskeleton frame 16. The grooves 22extend to the corners and edges of the phone 10. The fingers 18 andspine 20 of the frame 16 fits into the grooves 22 when the frame 16 isclipped over the glove 14 and grips the edges and corners of the phone10. The hard frame 16 thus interlocks with the soft glove 14. The depthof the grooves 22 in the glove 14 may be sized to receive the thicknessof the frame 16, such that the fingers 18 and spine frame 16 aresubstantially flush with or protruding only slightly above the matchinggrooves 22, to provide an aesthetic seamless appearance.

The soft glove 14 may be made of silicon, soft rubber, or the likeflexible, soft, and pliant material (e.g., Engage 8200 PolyolefinElastomer, available from DOW Plastics). The frame 16 may be made ofpolycarbonate (e.g., available under the common commercial name ofLEXAN®), or other material that is hard and stiff but provides someflexibility for slight bending to clip the frame 16 onto the glove 14 onthe device 10. Alternatively, the frame 16 of the protective case 12 maybe made of metal (e.g., aluminum, titanium, or light alloy). The glove14 and/or frame 16 may be available in different colors, textures,finishes, materials, etc. (e.g., the outside surface of the frame 16 isfinished with a rubberized texture or coating, such as polyurethanecoating), and may be interchangeable and/or mixed-and-matched so userscan change the appearance of the protective case 12 to suit individualpreferences.

It can be appreciated that the combination of the frame 16 and the glove14 forms an interlocking structure that is robust, which combines a softportion for protecting the delicate finish of the device 10, and a hardportion for providing a strong brace to strategically protect the morevulnerable edges and corners of the device 10. The fingers 18 snugglygrip the glove 14 and device 10 at the corners and edges with tight snapfit, thereby securely holding the 2-piece protective structure againstthe back of the phone 10, and protects the back, corners and edges ofthe phone. The corners and edges are otherwise more vulnerable to damagewhen the device 10 is dropped, for example.

An adhesive static membrane 24 is provided (preferably applied prior toputting on the silicon skin) to protect the screen of the device 10. Theprotective membrane 24 is substantially transparent or at least has atransparent window, and spanning at least the display section orpreferably the entire front of the device. The personal electronicdevice held within the casing is viewable (and/or allow user touchinteraction) through the window of transparent membrane 24.

In addition to the membrane covered window of the protective case whichallows the user to access the touch screen of the electronic device 10held within, the glove 14 and the frame 16 are provided withcomplementary or matching openings 26 for external access to buttons,switches and ports on the electronic device 10 held within (e.g.,headphone jack, charging port, docking port, on/off switch, scrollbutton, etc.), and an opening for a camera lens if provided on theelectronic device 10.

FIGS. 20A to 20C are reproduction of the product manual for the “Rebel”product described above in connection with the Apple iPhone. FIGS. 20Ato 20C illustrate the steps of how the glove (or shell) 14 andexoskeleton frame 16 can be installed to protect the devices 10 (in thiscase the Apple iPhone) and uninstalled therefrom.

Embodiment Two 3-Piece Protective Structure

Reference is made to FIGS. 21-29. FIG. 21 shows the example of anelectronic device in the form of a smart phone 10 (similar to the device10 illustrated in the previous embodiment) held by a protective case 212in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. As inthe previous embodiment, the protective case 212 exposes the displayscreen of the phone 10. The commercial product implementing the presentinvention under this second embodiment is generally referred to as the“Neo” product. It comprises a 3-piece rear protective structure;including an optional soft close fit piece (the “glove” or “skin”) 214(omitted in FIG. 21, but the location of the presence of the skin 214 isindicated in FIG. 21), a hard H-frame 216 and a hard I-clip 215.

Like the previous embodiment, the single piece soft skin 214 protectsthe phone's highly polished back from getting scratched. The skin 214snugly covers the entire back panel and the perimeter of the phone 10,and exposes screen at the front of the phone 10. In this embodiment, theglove 214 is thinner than the glove 14 in the previous embodiment, andthe skin 214 has a smooth back surface without the grooves as in theprevious embodiment.

Instead of a single claw-shaped hard exoskeleton frame piece as in theprevious embodiment, a 2-piece hard frame comprising a combination ofthe I-clip 215 and H-frame 216 is applied to the soft skin 214. Both theH-frame 215 and the I-clip 216 are each of a single piece, monolithic orunitary structure. The hard plastic H-frame 216 (e.g. having a structuresymmetrical about a longitudinal axis of the phone 10) covers over theskin 214, at locations near and along the longitudinal edges and at thecorners of the phone 10, to protect at least the corners and side (e.g.,longitudinal) edges and part of the rear of the phone 10. Referring toFIG. 22, the H-frame 216 comprises two longitudinal sections 250 and 252having generally C-shaped sections for grasping or hooking onto thelongitudinal peripheral edges and corners of the phone 10 with a tightsnap fit. The longitudinal sections 250 and 252 of the H-frame 216 areinterconnected by a cross section 254. The thickness of material at thecross section 254 is thinner than that of the adjacent longitudinalsections 250 and 252 (the outward facing surface at the cross section254 is below or indented from the adjacent outward facing surfaces ofthe longitudinal sections 250 and 252). The thinner cross section 254facilitates flexing despite the hard material of the H-frame 216, sothat the longitudinal sections 250 and 252 can be locked over thelongitudinal edges and corners of the device 10.

The I-clip 215 has a structure symmetrical about a longitudinal axis. Itclips and mates with the H-frame at the back of the phone 10 to coverthe remaining top and bottom edges of the phone 10, thus covering theentire phone 10 in hard plastic (apart from the screen). The inwardfacing surface of the I-clip 215 is indented at the center section thatfaces the cross section 254 of the H-frame 216. The shape and thicknessof the indentation at center section of the I-clip 215 (i.e., thesection of the I-clip 215 that will cover the cross section 254 of theH-frame) is sized and shaped to complement or match the shape andthickness of the cross section 254, so that when the center section ofthe I-clip 215 covers the cross section of the H-frame 216, the I-clip215 is substantially flush with or protruding only slightly above theouter surface of the H-frame 216, to provide an aesthetic seamlessappearance. Thin flanges may be provided along the inside edges of thelongitudinal sections 250 and 252, to support the edges of the I-clip215 if they are of reduced thickness to complement the flanges toprovide a flush finish with the H-frame 216. (See also the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 30 to 34.)

When the I-clip 215 is applied to the H-frame 216, it covers theportions of the device 10 not covered by the H-frame 216. When theI-clip is clipped over the skin 214 and the H-frame 216, it forms flushand continuous sections with the H-frame 216, along the top and bottomedges of the device 10, as the I-clip 215 grips the top and bottom edgesof the device 10. The combination of H-frame 216 and I-clip 215structure offers a 7-point locking mechanism that securely protects thedevice 10, e.g., from damage when it is accidentally dropped. TheH-frame 216 locks the four corner points of the device 10. The I-clip215 clips and locks tightly or snuggly around the top and bottom edgeportions (i.e., at two additional points) of the device 10. The device10 is thus secured protected by the hybrid structure of the protectivecase 212. To top it off, the I-clip 215 and the H-frame 216 are securedin place by a center lock that comprises complementary embossed pattern(raised structure) and complementary hole (or channels or grooves). Inthe illustrated embodiment, the H-frame 216 has a raised embossedpattern 260 at the cross section 254, which mates with a matched shapedhole 262 in the center of the I-clip 215. The embossed pattern 260 andhole 262 may conveniently take the shape of the company logo of themanufacturer, or simply a circle, square or other geometrical shapes.

The hard H-frame 216 thus interlocks with the I-clip 215. The I-clip 215acts like a brace that interlocks with the H-frame 216. It can beappreciated that the combination of the H-frame 216 and the I-clip 215forms an interlocking structure that is robust, providing a hard portionstrategically protecting the back of the device and the more vulnerableedges and corners of the device 10, and further combining with the skin214 for protecting the delicate finish of the device 10.

In this embodiment, unlike the previous embodiment, the H-frame 216 andthe I-clip 215 together cover substantially the entire skin 214. Therelative coverage of the H-frame 216 over the skin 214 (as compared tothe I-clip 215) may be 10-90%, preferably 30-70%, and more preferablyabout 50%.

The soft skin 214 may be made of silicon, soft rubber, or the likeflexible, soft, and pliant material. The H-frame 216 and the I-clip 215may be made of polycarbonate (e.g., available under the commoncommercial name of LEXAN®), or other material that is hard and stiff butprovides some flexibility for slight bending to clip the H-frame 216onto the skin 214 on the device 10, and to clip the I-clip 215 ontophone to interlock with the H-frame 216. The H-frame and the I-clip maybe made of different material. For example, the H-frame may be made of asofter material, and the I-clip may be made of a harder material, orvice versa.

Alternatively, the frame 216 and/or the I-clip 215 of the protectivecase 212 may be made of metal (e.g., aluminum, titanium, or lightalloy). The H-frame 16 and/or I-clip 215 may be available in differentcolors, textures, finishes, materials, etc. (e.g., the outside surfaceof the I-clip 215 is finished with a rubberized texture or coating, suchas a polyurethane coating), and may be interchangeable and/ormixed-and-matched so users can change the appearance of the protectivecase 212 to suit individual preferences.

An adhesive static membrane 224 is provided (preferably applied prior toputting on the silicon skin) to protect the screen of the device 10. Theprotective membrane 224 is substantially transparent or at least has atransparent window, and spanning at least the display section orpreferably the entire front of the device. The personal electronicdevice held within the casing is viewable (and/or allow user touchinteraction) through the window of transparent membrane 224.

In addition to the membrane covered window of the protective case 212which allows the user to access the touch screen of the electronicdevice 10 held within, the skin 214, the H-frame 216 and the I-clip 215are provided with complementary or matching openings 226 for externalaccess to buttons, switches and ports on the electronic device 10 heldwithin (e.g., headphone jack, charging port, docking port, on/offswitch, scroll button, etc.), and an opening for a camera lens ifprovided on the electronic device 10.

FIGS. 29A to 29D are reproduction of the product manual for the “Neo”product described above in connection with the Apple iPhone. FIGS. 29Ato 29D illustrate the steps of how the skin 214, the H-frame 216 and theI-clip 215 can be installed to protect the devices 10 (in this case theApple iPhone) and uninstalled therefrom.

FIGS. 30 to 34 illustrate another embodiment of the 3-piece protectivecase 312, which is a variation of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 21to 29. In this embodiment, the H-frame 316 and the I-clip 315 haveoverlapping flanges at the adjoining edges. FIG. 30 shows the H-frame316 as viewed from the side facing the device 10 when installed. FIG. 31shows the underside of I-clip 315, which faces the H-frame 316 anddevice 10 when installed. FIG. 32 shows the combination of the I-clip315 and the H-frame 316, as viewed from the underside facing the device10 when installed. FIG. 33 shows the outer surface of the H-frame 316,as installed on an electronic device 10. FIG. 34 shows the I-clip 315installed on the H-frame 316 over the device 10. Comparing thisembodiment to the embodiment of FIGS. 21 to 29, the I-clip 315 hascenter section 320 and longitudinal edge sections 322 having reducedthickness, and the H-frame 316 has indented flanges 324 along thelongitudinal edges and indented cross section with raised/embossedpattern 360. The shape and depth of the flanges 324 on the H-frame arecomplementary to the shape and thickness of the edge sections 322 andcenter section 320 on the I-clip 315, so that when the center section ofthe I-clip 315 covers the cross section of the H-frame 316, the I-clip315 is substantially flush with or protruding only slightly above theouter surface of the H-frame 316, to provide an aesthetic seamlessappearance.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be madewithout departing from the spirit, scope, and teaching of the invention.A person skilled in the art will recognize that the instrumentincorporating the essence of this invention can also be used for storageof other types of collapsible items made from plastic or other softand/or flexible materials. Accordingly, the disclosed invention is to beconsidered merely as illustrative and limited in scope only as specifiedin the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A protective case for a portable handheldelectronic device, comprising: a first protective component, sized andconfigured to extend to fit snugly over at least a portion of a back andat least a portion of the perimeter of the electronic device, whereinthe electronic device includes a display screen and at least one portprovided on the perimeter of the electronic device, wherein a window andat least one opening are provided on the first protective component,wherein the window is located on the first protective component toexpose the display screen of the electronic device and said at least oneopening is located on the first protective component to provide externalaccess to said at least one port provided on the perimeter of theelectronic device when the first protective component is fitted over theback of the electronic device, wherein the first protective component issized and configured to extend to cover at least a portion of the backof the electronic device, and wherein the first protective component issized and configured to extend to cover at least a portion of theperimeter of the electronic device; and a second protective componentcovering at least a portion of the first protective component, whereinthe second protective component comprises a plurality of extendingmembers extending towards the perimeter of the electronic device andcovering the first protective component over at least a portion of theperimeter of the electronic device, wherein each extending member haslateral edges, and wherein each adjacent lateral edge of an extendingmember is not connected to a lateral edge of an adjacent extendingmember.
 2. The protective case as in claim 1, wherein the firstprotective component is provided with at least an indentation and thesecond protective component comprises at least a complementary structurereceived in the indentation.
 3. The protective case as in claim 2,wherein the material of the second protective component is differentfrom the material of the first protective component.
 4. The protectivecase as in claim 3, wherein material of the second protective componentis harder than that of the first protective component.
 5. The protectivecase as in claim 2, wherein the second protective component is removablyfitted over the first protective component.
 6. The protective case as inclaim 2, wherein the second protective component and the firstprotective component form an interlocking structure.
 7. The protectivecase as in claim 1, wherein the first protective component is sized andconfigured to extend to cover substantially the entire back of theelectronic device.
 8. The protective case as in claim 1, wherein thefirst protective component is sized and configured to extend to coversubstantially entire perimeter of the electronic device.
 9. Theprotective case as in claim 1, wherein the extending members cover thefirst protective component over at least one side of the perimeter ofthe electronic device.
 10. The protective case as in claim 1, whereinthe first protective component has an overall external shape resemblingoverall external shape of the electronic device, so as to minimizeoverall size of combination of the protective case and electronic devicewhen the first protective component is fitted over the back of theelectronic device.
 11. The protective case as in claim 1, wherein thefirst protective component has a generally flat overall external shape,and an internal shape configured to fit over the electronic devicehaving a generally flat overall external shape.
 12. A protective casefor a mobile device, the mobile device having a front surface, a backsurface, and side surfaces extending between the front and backsurfaces, including a top side, a bottom side, a right side, and a leftside, the mobile device having a screen on the front surface, theprotective case comprising: a flexible inner sleeve configured to engageand substantially surround the back surface and the side surfaces of themobile device, the flexible inner sleeve defining a screen openingconfigured to provide access to the screen on the front surface of themobile device, the flexible inner sleeve having a front side, a backside, a top side, a bottom side, a right side, and a left side, whereinthe back side and the top, bottom, right and left sides of the flexibleinner sleeve correspond to the back surface and side surfaces of themobile device; and a rigid outer shell covering the flexible innersleeve to thereby form the protective case; wherein the flexible innersleeve further comprises at least an indentation below the back surfaceof the flexible inner sleeve, extending from a portion of the back sideto at least one of the right side, the left side, the top side and thebottom sides of the flexible inner sleeve, wherein the rigid outer shellis received in the indentation, and wherein the rigid outer shellincludes a plurality of side walls that are configured to be receivedwithin the corresponding portions of the indentation that are located onthe side surfaces of the flexible inner sleeve.
 13. The protective caseof claim 12, wherein the rigid outer shell is removably engagable withthe flexible inner sleeve.
 14. The protective case of claim 12, whereinthe flexible inner sleeve comprises a soft material.
 15. The protectivecase of claim 14, wherein the rigid outer shell comprises a hardmaterial.
 16. The protective case of claim 12, wherein at least one ofthe right, left, top and bottom sides of the flexible inner sleeveincludes an aperture.
 17. The protective case of claim 12, wherein theside walls of the rigid outer shell are configured to engage the mobiledevice through the flexible inner sleeve.
 18. The protective case ofclaim 12, wherein the flexible inner sleeve is configured tosubstantially cover entire back and side surfaces of the mobile device.19. The protective case of claim 12, wherein the side walls of the rigidouter walls expose at least a portion of at least one of the top,bottom, right and left sides of flexible inner sleeve which define thescreen opening.
 20. The protective case as in claim 1, wherein thesecond protective component is sized and configured to be received in atleast an indentation provided in the first protective component over atleast a portion of the back of the electronic device, and wherein theextending members of the second protective component is sized andconfigured to be received in the at least an indentation provided in thefirst protective component over at least a portion of the perimeter ofthe electronic device.
 21. The protective case as in claim 20, whereinthe second protective component is more rigid than the first protectivecomponent.